But as absurd as things may have gotten lately, something that Ubisoft hasn’t done properly yet is to put all of its franchises into the same game. Technically, Ubisoft did this in the past and to middling success. The studio’s previous attempt, Elite Squad, is going to shut down in October 2021, which doesn’t exactly bode well for XDefiant. Of course, unlike Elite Squad, which was spearheaded by Owlient, the development for XDefiant will be handled by one of Ubisoft’s main studios, which should give it a good shot at competing well against the likes of Call of Duty, Apex Legends, and Overwatch, as well as Ubisoft’s other upcoming shooters like Rainbow Six Extraction.
What is XDefiant?
XDefiant is Ubisoft’s upcoming free-to-play Tom Clancy game that will feature 6v6 arena combat played from a first-person shooter perspective. What makes XDefiant unique is that it will feature player classes from other Tom Clancy games by Ubisoft. So far, Ubisoft hasn’t released too many details about the upcoming game. However, from what we can tell, XDefiant is going to play fast and loose with its firefights, with tight combat execution similar to Call of Duty and the classes of Overwatch. TLDR; XDefiant is nothing like anything else that Ubisoft has released at this point.
When is the XDefiant release date?
Ubisoft’s surprise XDefiant reveal did not come with a release date. Instead, Ubisoft merely announced that the game is coming and that an early build will be available for beta testing on August 5. Not announcing a release date until it is a sure thing might just be the smartest move that Ubisoft has made to date. The French game company has hit multiple snags due to COVID-19 over the past year. Everything from Far Cry 6 to the DLCs for Assassin’s Creed Valhalla has been delayed at least once. The lack of a release date should keep fans excited without making them feel disappointed in case the studio falls short again.
Is there an XDefiant trailer?
If you are interested to learn more about XDefiant, you can check out the gameplay trailer straight from Ubisoft below:
Which platforms will XDefiant be available?
Are there different classes and factions in XDefiant?
As revealed during the initial announcement, the main draw of XDefiant is that it will pull classes and characters from Ubisoft’s deep Tom Clancy games catalog. At launch, XDefiant will feature four classes based on Ubisoft’s most popular Tom Clancy games, such as:
Wolves - These will serve as the tanks of XDefiant and are pulled straight from Ghost Recon. This class can deploy shields and have increased health. Outcasts - The Outcasts are from The Division and serve as the healers of XDefiant. Cleaners - XDefiant’s main aggressive class are the Cleaners from The Division, which will have abilities that revolve around doing damage and wreaking havoc. Echelon - Splinter Cell’s Echelon serve as support characters in XDefiant that will provide teammates valuable enemy intel while denying the same information to the enemies.
As you can see, Ubisoft did not shy away from starting with classes based on some of its most popular Tom Clancy games. However, we wouldn’t be surprised if Ubisoft decides to add classes from its more obscure titles. Because Ubisoft has confirmed that it is going to add more factions to the game down the line, we might just see characters from H.A.W.X and Endwar, or even Watch Dogs and Assassin’s Creed, even though the latter two are not Tom Clancy games.
What kind of game modes will XDefiant have?
XDefiant will initially have 7 arena maps and 3 linear maps during the beta phase with five unique game modes, including:
Domination (Arena) Ringleader (Arena) Upload (Arena) Escort (Linear) Zone Control (Linear)
Ubisoft has declined to provide further information as to what kind of names the maps will have and what they will look like. However, the reveal trailer showed us what looks like the NYC subways from The Division, so we can expect the maps of XDefiant to look somewhat similar to the maps from other Tom Clancy games by Ubisoft.
Can you play XDefiant with players from other platforms?
Player count is everything for a game like XDefiant. It needs crossplay if it is to compete with other multiplayer shooters on the market. Unfortunately, while Ubisoft does indeed plan on adding crossplay to XDefiant, the feature will likely not be available at launch.
Will there be an XDefiant closed beta test?
The XDefiant reveal came with another surprise - a beta is coming soon. Starting on August 5, players can sign up for a chance to help out with the development of XDefiant by providing input and feedback to the game’s development team. If you’re interested, we recommend putting it in your preferred platform and fill out the included questionnaire.
